On 6/20/07, Robyn Hood <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Hi Judy, > I have asked the questions several times but never gotten an answer and that > is where did the term saddle tolt come from? Does anyone know??
does anyone actually acknowlege it as saddle tolt?? When I first got into icelandics and started trying to learn and started asking questions on this list---- I wanted to know what is tolt exactly. >From several reference sources and posts on here from people who are more experienced I found out tolt is rack. But I could see with my eyes that many icelandics appeared in photos and video to be doing a saddle rack. So I would ask, isnt that a saddle rack? And people would just get furious saying there s no such thing as a saddle rack, that there is no such gait in the icelandic horse, altho in the very same breath, sometimes even the same people (!) would admit there is "slow tolt" and "fast tolt". Well anyone with a racky walking horse will tell you there is rack, (sometimes called true rack) and theres saddle rack (a totally different gait in terms of footfall, speed , form etc but its slower). and also speed rack, which I want to go on record here officially as being the very first to PUBLICLY ON THESE LISTS declare a speed rack a flying pace. Because it is one, it looks like one identically, just as fast etc. it just IS a flying pace I know it in my bones. but saddle rack is so prominent a gait in walkers and racking breeds that here in the deep south some people even call grade walking horses that do it "saddle horses", like its a breed. What kinda horse is he you ask, "saddle horse" they reply, meaning it is a gaited horse that saddle racks. Mccurdy people call it a "Mccurdy lick" KMSH people call it "the daisy cutter" twh and rh people call it a "saddle gait" or saddle rack. I am not a gait expert from the ground Robyn, but there are a few easy gaits I KNOW in the saddle, unmistakeably. And I know them inside and out. And sound of footfall is almost ludicrous as a tool to discern gait. (to me!) For one thing, people say "i know it is tolt because it is even four beat" but a hard pacing or trotting horse is an even four beat if you let him get in two patterns, right? anyway, maybe some people can do that better than me... But I am a gait expert from the saddle on: stepping pace, hard pace, trot, runningwalk, rack and saddle rack. and I will guarantee you this--- a saddle rack is so different than a rack it is very very VERY easy to differentiate! It is as different from rack as rack is from dogwalk! But in icelandics it is a little tricky because something about their short legs, conformation, something... in pictures and even in the saddle, when they rack they look and feel like a saddle rack moreso than other breeds. So it gets very difficult to isolate in this breed i think. But ask people who are considered very knowlegeable about icelandic horses... they will tell you there is only tolt, which is rack. But then some will admit, there is skeith tolt (pacey side of rack), piggy pace (I'm not sure but one time we argued this to death it seemed to be a general concensus this was hard pace tho many many still insisted it was a stepping pace, altho it is very hard for me to figure it out cause these same people would say it was rough and miserable which a stepping pace is not, its very pleasant and smooth) and a lot of other names meaning a tolt lends to another frame of gait. Which is not unheard of in other breeds! a walking horse running walk can be "to the trotty side" and they correct it with weighted shoes in the rear. They can be pacey which they corrected with weighted shoes and or long toes in the front. etc etc etc. but to answer your question I have never heard anyone really admit an icelandic does a "saddle tolt". But in my experience I have seen that people who show, for instance, if they have a registered walker and he will only rack, well, he's not gonna be able to get any ribbons at a walking horse show is he... because there a registered walking horse is expected to do only a runningwalk, flatwalk, and canter. But if they have a registered racking horse that does a runningwalk, same thing. So they sorta send out a message that these are unacceptable gaits in that particular breed and thats ok, because it only gets stupid when they start trying to blow smoke by saying "the running walk does not exist in the registered racking horse" and vice versa. just breed and show hype stupidity. As far as I know fox trot, saddle rack, stepping pace and runningwalk are not recognized gaits in the icelandic horse (officially) (the reality is that like all gaited horses, all gaits can be found in the icelandic as well as all gaited horses except not in a show ring of course, where it will not win any ribbons unless it does the desginated accepted gait of that horse breed). Which is bizarre, because a runningwalk is the cadillac of gaits in my experience/opinion. You should die of happiness with any gaited horse that does it. 20 mph of head nodding butter ride is not too shabby if you ask me, and I wouldnt care if a camel was doing it! And a saddle rack, oh my, what fun. Just pure power and smooth thrill ride. whats so embarassing about that? A true rack (tolt), what a great ride, but in my experience/opinion, not a great trail gait, but good for open logging paths in winter (no shade in summer), and a speed rack/flying pace oh man forget it except on an open road or arena. and stepping pace, much maligned but my favorite horse on the planet does that as gait of choice and its wonderful so why malign it?? Why try and alter gait with horrible painful devices?? that is what we need to look at here. That is THE POINT. I dont give a rats ___ what gait anybodys horses do but when you start altering it mechanically then you are guilty of horse abuse in my opinion, plain and simple!! Janice MPA, Urban Planner of 23 years, published (34 times) author with reprints in New Zealand, Nova Scotia and Japan, Adjunct professor of American National Government, First female to ever pass the physical test for the Sacramento County Garbageman exam, Professional actually paid bluegrass musician who has actually jammed with Ralph Stanley, Doyle Lawson, James King, Curly Ray Cline and a host of other incredible dead or almost dead apalachian musicians nobody has ever heard of and gazillions of other stupid stuff that is absolutely worthless when it comes to gait in horses!! But I know it all I tell you ALLLlllllll... blblblblblblbl phfttttttt yipie tie yie yo
